


Falling For You

by I_Write_Tragedies_Not_Sins



Series: Ad Astra Per Aspera [2]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-18
Updated: 2016-02-18
Packaged: 2018-05-21 10:03:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6047509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Write_Tragedies_Not_Sins/pseuds/I_Write_Tragedies_Not_Sins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: I've always loved you!<br/>Characters: Commander Shepard + 2nd Character of your choice (bonus points for NPCs!<br/>Drabbles Due: February 19th</p><p>Set in my Paragade_AU Twin Shep universe, about four months after Chapter Two of Raindrops on Shattered Glass. </p><p>Elliott Shepard meets Kaidan. This sets up how they started a relationship before ME1. AU. Fluffy stuff.</p><p>I'm pretty sure I failed this challenge, and the prompt. -_-</p>
            </blockquote>





	Falling For You

Beads of sweat trickle down Kaidan's back. The engine room is hot as he leans over his workbench, cleaning his gun. He glances up as he hears approaching foot steps. A young man, about his age, is walking toward him. His hair is dark red and shaved close to his head. His eyes are a deep forest green that crinkle at the corners as he smiles. His grin is cocky and sure of himself. Kaidan rolls his eyes and looks back down at his gun, ignoring Shepard as the man leans against his desk. "Hello, Alenko. Polishing the ol' weapon, I see?" he says, his tone teasing.

For the last four months, since the Commander was first transferred here, he's been trying to flirt with Kaidan. 

Kaidan scoffs but ignores him, or tries to anyway. The man has a dominating presence though, and he's damn persistent on top of it all. Finally he lets out a sigh, looking up to meet Shepard's gaze. "Yes, Commander?" he asks, trying to be polite.

Elliott flashes him a smile, and Kaidan has to admit to himself that the man is indeed very handsome. "I just came to get to know my fellow crew members better. The Normandy's a big ship, and I don't know a soul here aside from Anderson," he says, pressing his lips together in a pout at the end.

Kaidan's own lips start to twitch upward but he forces his face to remain neutral. It wouldn't help to encourage the man. "Of course, Commander. Anything I can do to help?"

Elliott pouts further and it's a struggle for Kaidan not to burst out laughing at him. "Well, I could think of a few things," he replies, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Kaidan's eyes widen. "Commander, uh, I-"

Shepard laughs, the sound low and rumbly. "You're cute when you blush, Alenko."

"I'm not blushing," Kaidan retorts, frowning.

"Oh? Your cheeks are naturally that red then?"

Kaidan frowns harder. "It's hot," he replies.

Elliott grins. "Flatter," he quips.

"That- That is not what I meant, Shepard."

"Ah! Now there's a step in the right direction. I think I prefer Shepard to Commander, anyway," he says with a wink before sauntering off.

Kaidan watches him go, trying not to focus on the way his butt looked in the tight leather pants he is wearing. 

 

~*~*~

 

Kaidan rubs the back of his neck as he walks. He frowns to himself as he hears a strange sound coming from Shepard's room. He hesitates a moment, before walking over. He listens for a moment before it hits him what he's hearing.

Crying. The Commander is... crying? Kaidan stands there briefly, hand hovering in front of the door, before he knocks. He hears the sounds of Shepard moving around before the door slides open. Elliott stands there, shirtless, hair still wet from a shower. His eyes are puffy, though, the only sign that Kaidan had been right about what he had been hearing.

"Uh, Commander, I-" he begins, unsure what to say now that he is standing there.

Elliott blinks at him, confusion in his eyes. "Alenko? Did Anderson need something?"

Kaidan shakes his head. "No, uh, I was walking by and I heard-" He stops, Elliott's expression halting his sentence halfway through.

"You didn't hear anything," Shepard grinds out between clenched teeth.

Kaidan nods slowly, already regretting having knocked. "Sorry, Commander. I shouldn't have bothered you." He turns, walking away when Shepard calls out after him.

"Wait. Hey, Alenko, care for a drink?"

Kaidan turns, offering him a small smile. "Do you have any brandy?"

 

~*~*~

 

Kaidan laughs, the taste of brandy strong on his tongue as Shepard tells him about an old mission.

"I kid you not, there was this damn varren, and it was fuckin' huge. At least six times bigger than any varren you've ever seen, right?" Shepard says, laughing. "Anyway, it's growling at at my sister. And she just stares at it," he laughs again, tears leaking from his eyes, "She stares it right in the eyes and growls back at it! Just stands there and growls while the damn thing is starting to charge at her! Then she leaps at it when it gets closer and wrestles it to the ground. So they're rolling around, and there's these Krogan watching, with these amused expressions on their faces. Well, I think they were amused, anyway. Hard to tell with Krogan.  So, they're rolling around in the mud and the dirt, and it starts raining, which just makes it that much harder for her to get a grip on it. So what does she do? She bites the damn thing!"

Kaidan laughs, his ribs starting to get sore from just how much he's laughed over the past twenty minutes or so, sitting in here with the Commander. "I think I'd like to meet this "Kris". She sounds tough," he replies.

Elliott's expression instantly sobers. "You can't."

Kaidan frowns, not understanding. "Why not? You guys have a falling out or something? You sound as if you were close friends."

Shepard clenches his fists before taking another pull from the bottle of brandy. "Because she's dead," is his short reply.

Dead? Well, that explains a lot, Kaidan thinks to himself. "Oh, uh, I'm sorry, Shepard. I shouldn't have said that. It was thoughtless of-"

Elliott cuts him off as he leans forward, pressing his lips against Kaidan's. Kaidan's eyes open wide with shock at first, but he doesn't pull away. Shepard's lips are warm against his, and he tenderly cups his cheek and returns the kiss, knowing that he shouldn't. If they get caught, if word gets out that he kissed a superior officer- 

Shepard pulls back first. He takes another drink of brandy before handing it to Kaidan; he takes it gratefully. "Well, that was interesting," he mumbles, running his hand across his buzzed head.

Kaidan lets out a sound halfway between a laugh and a snort. "We shouldn't do that again, Commander."

Elliott raises a brow at him. "Yeah? Why the hell not?"

"Rank? Duty? Our career? Take your pick," he replies wryly.

Shepard shrugs. "I don't know, Alenko, the way you kiss and it might be worth it," he replies. He chuckles at Kaidan's reaction. "There's that cute little blush again," he teases.

Kaidan shakes his head and stands up. "I should go," he says, turning away.

 

~*~*~

 

Kaidan jumps as Shepard comes up behind him, nuzzling his neck. "Somebody is going to see you," Kaidan hisses.

Shepard chuckles in his ear. "I don't really care," he replies.

Kaidan pulls away. "Well, I like my career," he says, tone dry.

It's been a year since that first kiss. They were... a couple now, sort of. With their work and rank getting in the way, they never have time for dates. But Shepard seems content with long hours spent talking in the engine room and a few stolen kisses here and there. Kaidan, meanwhile, is just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Well, I'm pretty sure I can find a job for you, Kaidan," Elliott murmurs, looking down at the bulge in Kaidan's pants. Kaidan scowls at him. "You're insane," he mutters.

Elliott grins. "Just crazy for you, baby," he quips, making Kaidan burst out laughing.

"I take that back, Shepard. You're not insane, you're an idiot."

Elliott fakes a pout. "I'm your idiot, though, right?"

Kaidan shifts awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, yeah," he replies, looking around to see if anyone is nearby before letting Shepard press a soft kiss against his cheek. And, in the end, Kaidan isn't quite sure which of them is more of an idiot. 


End file.
